The Top 5 from Barcelona

Leave him alone, he knows what he’s doing

Excuse the millionth use of that line. This Badger likes Kimi Raikkonen a lot, though not for the reasons that you might think. His run-ins with the media and his wild antics away from the track have become somewhat legendary, but they’re not what make him great.

What makes him great is how he can produce great performances, and still not be satisfied if he hasn’t won. Sunday was a good example of that – even after scrapping with Seb Vettel midway through the race, and eventually finishing on the podium, it wasn’t enough:

“It was disappointing to finish 2nd, but we have to take what we can”

That’s the sign of a true racer. Respect Kimi, respect.

Mutual Understanding

With all their training and media commitments, it can be difficult for drivers to even spare time for their rivals, let alone be able to forge genuine friendships with one another. So we in the Sett let out a big ‘awww’, when we saw Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber interview each other for the BBC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2–FD1g0W34&feature=player_embedded

When the pressure of competition can ruin long-lasting friendships, genuine warmth like that is great to see, especially when they say things like ‘we’re prepared to put our lives in each other’s hands on a regular basis’. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Mercedes’ Mr. Mustachio

Clinical efficiency, good beer and lederhosen are just some of the things that people might associate with the German people. Well, now you can add immaculate moustaches to that esteemed list.

Those watching the Grand Prix were treated to the perfectly sculpted lip jumper of Dieter ‘Doctor Z’ Zetsche, the head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. And when you take a look at it, it’s no surprise that his nickname makes him sound like a comic book character.

The only thing lacking from it was a superpower that could have stopped Mercedes’ shocking tyre wear. Regardless, we salute facial hair so well-kept that it could even give Nigel Mansell a run for his money.

Tache-tactic – Photo: AMG Petronas Mercedes F1 Team

Pirelli – ‘we got it wrong’

Post-race talk being about tyres is a good indication that the race wasn’t a classic, but it’s arguably justified after this weekend. It’s been a while since we’ve seen so many punctures and delaminations.

As for Pirelli, they’re between a rock and a hard place. Despite working from data gathered with a year-old car, they’ve added another element to strategy that’s definitely made races more exciting – there’s just a very fine line between excitement and ruining the spectacle.

Now that some teams have said that line was crossed on Sunday, changes are on the way in time for Canada. Which seems unfair, as there will still be people unhappy, and all Pirelli have done is work to the brief the FIA gave them.

Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

You cannot be serious…

Remember the days when drivers were allowed to do donuts, burnouts, and carry flags on a victory lap, without so much as even giving a thought to being investigated for it? That was ever such a long time ago.

Unfortunately, it didn’t surprise us all that much when Fernando Alonso was picked out for taking a flag from a marshal, as the stewards do like to apply the rules to the letter. But there’s applying the rules to the letter, and there’s taking action that verges on the draconian – the guy had just won his home race and wanted to celebrate with his fans, give him a break!

Meanwhile, in the GP2 race that morning, a different set of stewards decided that this was a racing incident…

BadgerGP.com is not affiliated with Formula 1, Formula One Management (FOM), Formula One Administration (FOA), or any other subsidiary associated with the official Formula One governing organisations or their shareholders. Efforts have been made to acknowledge credits wherever necessary, however, if you are the copyright holder and believe your material has been used unfairly, please contact us.